A stone island hung suspended in the clouds. It was narrow at the base and wide at the top, its surface as flat as if it had been hewn by a sword.

In the island’s center grew a gnarled, verdant pine tree. Beneath its shade lay a clear pool, the size of a well’s mouth. Looking into the pool, one could see straight through to the island’s base, where the water flowed out and down, forming a small, suspended waterfall that vanished into the unknown.

Yet the pool’s surface never lowered, nor did it ripple in the slightest. By its edge sat a white-haired Daoist, cross-legged with his palms facing the heavens, eyes closed in silent meditation. A white crane stood nearby on one leg, seemingly dozing. Both were perfectly still.

Only the occasional sway of the pine needles proved that this was not a still painting.

A Flying Book, moving even faster than a Flying Sword, streaked through the layers of clouds as a flash of golden light and arrived at the floating island. Just then, the white-haired Daoist suddenly came to life. He had raised his hand at some point, and the Flying Book abruptly appeared between his fingers.

The Daoist slowly opened his eyes, unfurled the Flying Book, and read it carefully.

A single ripple spread across the clear pool.

The white crane’s eyes shot open. It opened its beak and, astonishingly, spoke in a deep, middle-aged man’s voice. "Senior Brother, has something happened?"

"A message from the family," the white-haired Daoist said. "It happened suddenly last night. The newly promoted True Disciple, Xuzhuang, accused Chen Zongyu of the Chen Family of plotting to murder a True Disciple with demonic arts. Han Wang immediately gathered twenty Law Enforcement Cultivators and sixty Dao Soldiers and Warriors overnight, went to the Chen Family’s estate to make the arrest, and brought him back to the Law Enforcement Hall for interrogation."

"What?" the white crane asked, shocked and suspicious. "The Chen Family would do something so foolish? And Han Wang... could this be the Han Family’s doing?"

"Hmph." The white-haired Daoist gave a mirthless smile. "The Han Family? Why do you think the Han Family has stood strong in the sect for ten thousand years, ever since the third-generation patriarch? The Han Family always acts from the sect’s perspective! The very night Han Wang brought Chen Zongyu back to the Law Enforcement Hall, before the Hall could even summon Xuzhuang for a confrontation, Chen Zongyu confessed to everything..."

"What?" The white crane’s eyes widened. "The Chen Family truly dared to commit such a grave crime so openly?"

"The Chen Family denies ordering Chen Zongyu to do it, and Chen Zongyu also confessed that he acted alone," the white-haired Daoist said. "The Law Enforcement Hall’s Xiezhi determined that Chen Zongyu was telling the truth, and the verdict was delivered that same night."

"Chen Zongyu: stripped of his Daoist status, his name expunged from the golden books and jade tablets."

The white crane shuddered. "Stripped of his Daoist status, his name expunged... Even if he reincarnates, he will be barred from entering the Tai Su Sect’s gates for all eternity!"

"Reincarnation is not so simple," the white-haired Daoist said flatly. "Even a perfected Nascent Soul cultivator may not be able to preserve their true self through the cycle of rebirth. This man’s Golden Core was already destroyed, so he had no hope of reaching the Nascent Soul realm. Now that his Daoist status is revoked, it’s impossible for him to use the sect’s treasures to reincarnate. Besides..."

He closed the Flying Book. "It’s more than just having his status revoked," he said calmly. "The Law Enforcement Hall has sentenced Chen Zongyu to be escorted to the Bone-Burning Suffering Realm for eternal imprisonment. From this day forward, the person known as Chen Zongyu no longer exists in this world."

"What!" the crane exclaimed in alarm. "A True Disciple being sent to the Bone-Burning Suffering Realm? This must be the first time such a thing has happened in ten thousand years!"

The Bone-Burning Suffering Realm was the foremost of the Six Realms of Suffering, a prison established by the Tai Su Orthodox Sect to confine sect traitors and seal away demons and monsters. It was said that within this Suffering Realm, there was no air, no spiritual qi—only a roiling, scorching miasma that filled the space between heaven and earth, perpetually scouring the soul and dissolving the flesh. No matter who entered, their fate was to have their soul annihilated and their body melted away.

"Heh, well, he has thoroughly severed all ties with the title of True Disciple now," the white-haired Daoist said with a sigh. "In the last five generations, the Chen Family has produced four True Disciples in a row. Although none have yet shown signs of refining a Primordial Spirit, one could say their fortune was at its peak... To think they would suffer such repeated setbacks in recent years. Could it be that the Chen Family’s luck is about to take a sharp downturn?"

The white crane said, "Losing one Chen Zongyu won’t be enough to truly cripple the Chen Family, will it?"

The white-haired Daoist shook his head. "Chen Zongyu committed a grave crime, plotting to murder a True Disciple. Although the Xiezhi determined he was not acting on the Chen Family’s orders, how can the family escape responsibility?"

"Think of the other three Vice Institute Venerables in the Law Enforcement Hall. Other than Han Wang, who isn’t qualified because he hasn’t reached the Nascent Soul realm, haven’t the others been openly and secretly vying with Chen Zonghe for the position of the next Institute Venerable for a long time?"

"Chen Zonghe currently holds the prestigious position of Vice Institute Venerable of the Law Enforcement Hall, yet his supervision was so lacking that a traitor emerged from his own family. How could the other two Vice Institute Venerables not use this against him? And how will Chen Zonghe explain himself?"

"I predict that Chen Zonghe will soon have to take the blame and resign from his post in the Law Enforcement Hall. The other high-ranking and influential members of the Chen Family within the sect will inevitably be affected as well."

"Then there’s Chen Lian, who is suspected of instigating Chen Zongyu. The sect has already dispatched Law Enforcement Disciples to capture her. With this, how will the relationship between the Chen Family and the Celestial Fire Yang Clan be maintained?"

"All these things might just be minor matters to the Chen Family," the white-haired Daoist said calmly. "But if the Chen Family’s power is weakened, will they still be able to hold onto the cultivation spot in the ’True Monarch’s Innate Tai Su Realm’ that they fought so hard to win? If *that* is affected, it will be a truly unbearable blow for the Chen Family."

"What?" The white crane’s voice was a mixture of shock and excitement. "Senior Brother, if the Chen Family loses their spot..."

"I know what you’re thinking, but whether this matter is discussed or not, it doesn’t need our Yun Family to take the lead." The white-haired Daoist shook his head, his fingers subconsciously pinching together as if performing a divination. He seemed lost in thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Junior Brother, I recall that Heng Ce intended to marry his daughter into the Chen Family, didn’t he?"

The white crane said, "That’s true. Senior Brother, what are you suggesting?"

The white-haired Daoist mused for a moment. "Have him put a stop to it for now," he said. "Our Yun Family has suffered from a lack of talent for several generations. Now that we are finally showing signs of a revival, we shouldn’t get involved in unnecessary complications."

The turmoil of that night continued to spread, but as one of the central figures in the incident, Xuzhuang paid it little mind.

Chen Zongyu had confessed without reservation, claiming he alone was responsible for all his crimes. The Xiezhi had already determined this to be true, and the verdict had been delivered that night. The matter was now closed. Xuzhuang, for his part, cast aside the disturbance and prepared to head to Beiji Pavilion for his confinement.